This followed a peace meeting between the unions and the state government on Tuesday in Osogbo.

The Chief of Staff to the Governor, Gboyega Oyetola, who represented the state government signed an agreement with the union leaders to end the strike.

The affected institutions are the Osun State Polytechnic, Iree; College of Technology, Esa-Oke; as well as the Colleges of Education in Ila-Orangun and Ilesa.

Francis Ademiluyi and Olusoji Fadipe also signed the agreement on behalf of the teaching and non-teaching staff of the unions respectively.

The unions agreed to suspend the strike having agreed on the modalities to pay the 2009 consolidated salary of tertiary institutions. They also agreed on the 2009 Consolidated Polytechnics and Colleges of Education Staff Structure (CONPCASS).

The meeting agreed that the issue of the 65 years retirement age had become a legal matter which would be adequately taken care of by the state House of Assembly.

Mr. Oyetola had earlier read the agreement which included the payment of 90 per cent of the 2009 consolidated salary structure.

Addressing newsmen after the meeting, the union leaders directed their members to resume work immediately

In attendance at the meeting were some members of the State Executive Council, including Sunday Akere, the Commissioner for Information and Strategy.

The strike began in 2012 over the demand for implementation of the Consolidated Tertiary Institution Salary Structure and approval of 65-year retirement age for lecturers.

(NAN)

The race to Bola Ige House at the Osun State government secretariat started immediately the incumbent, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, was pronounced the dully elected governor of the state by the Court of Appeal sitting in Ibadan on Friday, November 26, 2010.

The wound inflicted on the then ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), that was caught unawares by the judgment, called for a kind of reorganization of the already broken home caused by the then polarized PDP over the alleged endorsement of a particular aspirant out of no fewer than 10 aspirants jostling for the 2011 gubernatorial election under the party’s platform.

The acceptability of the new governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, by the people, no doubt put many members of the PDP off their feet as they agreed that the people actually wanted a change that came their way unexpectedly, not minding which form it took or whose ox was gored.

Their overwhelming support and love for Aregbesola was further strengthened as demonstrated by the massive vote the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) got at the 2011 general elections that ushered in the candidates to all elective offices at the state and national levels. It would be recalled that it was only in Osun State that the presidential candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria in the 2011 won in the Southern part of the country.

Despite the soaring popularity of the incumbent, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who has declared intention to run for a second term in office, the PDP judging from the unfolding scenario in the polity of the state seems to be battle ready to slug it out with Aregbesola having often picked holes in the policies of his administration and believing that Osun State electorates are unpredictable.

Already, no fewer than five aspirants have declared intention to contest, while at the end of the day, aspirants from the opposition PDP may have to slug it out at the primaries, the candidature of Ogbeni Aregbesola as the flagbearer of the ACN is almost assured as no one within the party has declared interest on the platform of the party.

However, in the fold of the PDP, four political heavyweights have declared their interest in the race and are already at work to ensure that they get the party’s ticket.

Therefore, for Senator Abdulrasheed Olasunkanmi Akinlabi, Hon. Oluwole Busayo Oke, Senator Christopher Iyiola Omisore and Alhaji Fatai Akinade Akinbade, getting their party’s ticket is the first hurdle which they are all preparing to jump to fly the party’s flag come the 2014 gubernatorial election.

None of these four aspirants is a green horn in Osun politics, while Omisore and Akinbade had in the past, taken a shot at the post of governor, Akinlabi and Oke had represented their constituencies at the national assembly.
Senator Abdulrasheed Olasunkanmi Akinlabi from Osun West Senatorial District was a Senator of the Federal Republic and later served as a Minister.

Akinlabi, from a humble background in Ode-omu, a town in Ayedaade local government area of Osun State, attended Howard University where he graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa. He also earned a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Columbia University.

A banker and businessman of note, Olasunkanmi later ventured into politics and successfully got the mandate of his constituency to represent them at the upper chamber on the platform of the PDP where he held sway as vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Education.

Although intensely private, Olasunkanmi is a favorite amongst the people for his accountability, productivity and philanthropy.

He was appointed a Minister responsible for Youth Development in the cabinet of President Umaru Yar’Adua and retained the same portfolio in the administration of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, making him the only member of the cabinet inherited after the demise of Yara’adua by Goodluck Jonathan to retain the same portfolio.

As part of his strength, Olasunkanmi has a strong followership from his hometown from where a former PDP chairman in the state, Alhaji Ademola Razak Oyelowo, who still wields considerable influence in political circles in the state, is also an indigene.

Oyelowo, aka Landero, was a supporter of Omisore in the last gubernatorial candidacy dispensation; Olasunkanmi may receive his support by virtue of indigenization as his support for the ambition of the former lawmaker may be vital to his chances.

A perfect gentleman with an international exposure and national relevance, Olasunkanmi is financially stable and has a fat purse that can support his ambition.

While his quiet mien is often considered in some quarters as inappropriate for the task ahead, Olasunkanmi is always quick to flaunt his political credentials which include four years in the Senate and four years as a cabinet minister, despite being of uncomplicated character.

Beside his well structured campaign team that has been active in the political scene in the state, the former lawmaker has a likeable personality and his chances of making it through the PDP primary in the last few months has remained very high.

Clearly, Olasunkanmi does not have traditional or fanatical supporters like Omisore or Akinbade and this may affect his chances, but many non-aligned PDP members favour Olasunkanmi, if he eventually emerges, candidate of the party.

Young and dynamic, Hon. Oluwole Oke, also from the PDP family, hails from Esa-Oke, a town in Obokun local government area of Osun state. A holder of a degree in Economics, the former member of the House Committee on Finance, also holds two Masters degrees in Financial Accounting and Masters in Tax Law. Currently, he is pursuing an LLB in the University of Birmingham.

At 46, Oke had already put under his belt two-terms, representing his constituency at the House of Representatives and served as Chairman of the House Committee on Defence. He has been a member of the organized private sector for over two decades.

Although Oke’s attempt in 2011 to return to the Green Chamber failed, some neutral political followers in Obokun and Oriade local government areas of the state are of the opinion that Oke lost the 2011 election, not because he was unpopular, but owing to the general acceptability the ACN was enjoying at the time, which gave the party the leverage to floor the PDP even if it had presented a moron at that time.

Oke, an Ijesa man like the incumbent governor, has consistently assured that if given the party’s ticket, he would defeat the incumbent hands down, saying that he would effortlessly tackle and solve problems confronting the state with the best available global solution.

Apart from making himself available to his people during his sojourn at the National Assembly, Oke impacted positively on the lives of many people in his constituency with his grassroots empowerment programme which is Oke’s selling point.

It is on record that during his time in the lower chamber, the state had it so good in terms of recruitment into both military and paramilitary agencies in the country.

Apart from having a good record while in office, Oke’s ability to connect the vast youthful populace and many computer literate elderly people through internet and engage them in discussions on how Osun state should be run, has further endeared him to many elite electorates.

While Oke cuts the picture of an ideal governor for this age, the well educated multilingual technocrat also has the financial wherewithal to cope with the demand associated with a big political project.

Oke’s ambition may however suffer a threat if another grassroot politician in his constituency who is said to be eyeing the Senate on the platform of the same party eventually declares his interest. Like Oke, the former Deputy Comptroller General of Customs, Chief Francis Fadahunsi from Ilase Ijesa, is a figure nobody within the constituency can underrate because he also has impacted positively on the lives of many individuals within the constituency.

Another high profile candidate is Alhaji Fatai Akinade Akinbade from Osun West Senatorial District.
The gentle but dynamic politician is an alumnus of the Ibadan polytechnic, where he studied Mechanical Engineering. A native of Ogbaagba, the longest serving politician among his contenders, he is a “homegrown” politician who has been around since the creation of the state and knows the terrain so well that he can boast of traditional supporters who will never trade their love for him for anything.

As a testimony to his relevance in Osun politics, even when democracy has not returned to the country, Akinbade was a commissioner under three different military regimes in the state.

He was the state chairman of the PDP in 2003, when the party defeated the defunct Alliance for Democracy of Chief Bisi Akande led government and then subsequently emerged the Secretary to the Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola led PDP government in the state.

Perhaps, his long harbored ambition to govern Osun state must have been done a great favour with the defection of former Chief of Staff to Prince Oyinlola, Elder Peter Babalola to the ACN shortly after a change in government in November 2010, because many of the fanatical supporters of Babalola who are still in the PDP have since moved to the camp of Akinbade.

A devout Muslim enjoying the support of Muslim communities in the state, Akinbade also has the good support of artisans and civil servants, especially in Osogbo, the Osun state capital, possibly because they consider him accessible and level-headed.

Similarly, the former governor of Osun state, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, is also believed to be supporting the quest of the Ogbaagba-born politician to superintend the state. To attest to this fact, Oyinlola visited Akinbade in his country home during the last Eid Kabir celebration in company of a large retinue of his supporters.

There is no doubting the fact that Akinbade has the clout and pedigree to challenge the incumbent governor in the election if his party hands him a ticket to run, but since his perceived strongest supporter, Oyinlola, was removed as the National Secretary of the PDP, his chances of getting governorship ticket may nosedive.

But this position is not shared by many of his supporters who believe Akinbade can still make it through a primary devoid of fraud.

Although the Akinbade appears like the candidate to beat, if given the opportunity to fly the PDP flag, the ability to muster enough funds for the great task ahead is doubtful especially after he had invested much on the still-birth 2011 gubernatorial election.

Senator Christopher Iyiola Omisore, a controversial figure, was born 56 years ago to the popular Omisore family in Ile-Ife, the Source. A Chartered Engineer, Omisore had served as the Deputy Governor of Osun State during the Chief Bisi Akande administrationwhere he was unceremoniously thrown out of office through impeachment yet remains undaunted.

Omisore, a two-term senator of the federal republic representing Osun East Senatorial District from year 2003 to 2011, is no stranger to the intrigues associated with party politics and was practically holding in his palm, the PDP gubernatorial ticket in 2010, despite having to contend with about eleven other aspirants, until the judgment by the Court of Appeal, Ibadan Division, completely altered the political calculations in the state.

As an evidence of his doggedness in the political arena, Omisore has a solid political structure that has survived many political onslaughts from within his party and from the opposition and this, coupled with his ability to think far ahead and properly situate challenges, proffering lasting solutions to them, put him miles ahead of those contending for the PDP ticket with him.

In a smart move to avert the kind of fortune that befell him in 2011, when he lost the senatorial election to the candidate of the ACN, former Majority Leader of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Barrister Jide Omoworare, Omisore has reconciled with Professor Wale Oladipo, the man said to be holding the grassroots for him.

Senator Omisore’s membership of the Catholic Church, one of the dominant denominations in the state with large membership is another plus for his ambition and at the national level; he has all the links and connections that can help his cause. He is believed to be very close to the presidency, getting the support of President Jonathan and the National Working Committee of his party.

The powerful politician is also said to be in command of the State Working Committee as it happened during the regime of Alhaji Rasaq Oyelowo especially when the party is operating from his personal office.

However, as bright as the chances of Senator Omisore’s getting his party’s governorship ticket is, winning the real election may be a different case because the campaign against his personality will be the focus of the ruling party as they seem to have more weapon” to fight Omisore than any of the three other aspirants on the platform of the PDP.

However, after the primaries of the PDP might have produced any of the above named candidates, and whosoever emerges, even with full support of the remaining three, will still have a tough time to defeat the incumbent, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

The man, Mr. Rauf Adesoji Aregbesola, from Osun East Senatorial District, was born on May 25, 1957 at Ilesa, Osun State. A student union activitst, an engineer by profession, is a politician who ran for governor of Osun State in the 2007 elections. Although the PDP candidate, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, was declared the winner, Aregbesola appealed the decision and on 26 th of November, 2010, was declared the winner.

Before he became the governor of Osun State, as an engineer, the dogged fighter, Aregbesola, a devote muslim had his own construction firm. He also served as the Lagos State Commissioner for Works and Infrastructure during the administration of his esteem leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahamed Tinubu.

Since, he assumed duty as the governor of Osun State, Aregbesola has made an incontestable difference. He has turned around the state through his six point integral action plan to banish poverty, banish unemployment, banish hunger, restore healthy living, enhance of communal peace and progress and promote functional education.

These he has achieved through his numerous action programmes under the acronym ‘O’, hence we have ‘O’ MEAL, ‘O’YES, ‘O’YESTECH, ‘O’SCHOOL, ‘O’REAP, ‘O’WMA, ‘O’CLEAN, ‘O’MEDIATION, among others.

These programmes have touched the lives of the people of Osun State that it may be difficult for any contestant to floor Aregbesola at the battle field more especially that various groups are coming out on a daily basis to declare their support for him.

However, he cannot afford to be carried away by these ovations, just like he was reminded by a group that it was not that Chief Bisi Akande did not perform creditably well as governor of Osun State, yet he was voted out. Let Aregbesola learn from this.

2014 is already at hand, whose head will this cap fit. Let’s wait and see and also watch events as it unfolds especially when other political parties are yet to make any pronouncements.

Source: Leadership

30 MONTHS OF GOVERNMENT UNUSUAL: Osun Vindicated, with lowest unemployment rate (3%) in Nigeria by National Bureau of Statistics

Mopping up 40,000 youths off the streets in two years and productively engaging them, thereby pumping 200 Million Naira monthly into the local economy with its attendant multiplier effects in commerce and exchange of goods and services, triggered economic rejuvenation and coupled with massive infrastructural development dotting across the landscape of Omoluabi land on a scale unparalleled in the 21-year history of our darling State of Osun, cannot but propel us forward…

Asese bere ani ki le ti rio. Asi ma goke si to ri bi giga laye tawa. Osuo ju pe ta lantakun o ba ku lati bi de ido oma tun ta kun dado…

EVERY STEP, A PROMISE KEPT! IREEEEE KABITI, OSUN TI N’DARA! AJURAWALO TIJAKADI KO!!!!

CULLED FROM GOVERNOR AREGBESOLA’S FACEBOOK STATUS

Governor Rauf Aregebesola of Osun State appears to have kicked off his second term campaign. Various car stickers with messages rallying support for Governor Rauf Aregbesola’s second term bid on Monday adorned most vehicles at the Osun Assembly Complex.

A correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria at the Assembly Complex in Osogbo observed that virtually all official and private vehicles belonging to the lawmakers had the stickers.

The stickers carried different messages urging the governor to run for a second term.

The Speaker, Najeem Salaam, said the leadership of the House did not mandate that all cars should carry the stickers.

“My colleagues have decided to show solidarity with Mr. Governor based on personal conviction and they are proud to be associated with him,’’ Mr. Salaam said.

The Speaker added that members of the House were happy with the performance of Mr. Aregbesola and would be ready to throw their weight behind his second term bid.

“This does not mean that we are losing sight of our watchdog position,’’ he added.

Source: News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)

Speaker, Honourable Najeem Saalam, warned the contractors and Directors of works in all the council areas, while appearing before the House Committee on Works and Transport.

The Speaker expressed dissatisfaction over the slow pace of work by the contractors that are handling the road projects and blamed the council engineers for not performing their supervisory roles as expected.

Salaam therefore threatened to expose any civil servant, who failed to perform his duties as expected by ensuring quality job on the ongoing road construction in all the council areas across the state.
He said: “All the stakeholders, especially the professionals, are responsible for the inefficiencies in the ongoing road constructions, when they are not doing what they are supposed to do at the right time”.

An average contractor will always make frantic efforts, if allowed, to maximise profit, but it is the duty of the supervising engineers to resist them and ensure that they do their jobs in-line with approved specifications”.

The terrible aspect of it is that the members of the public will be holding politicians responsible, while no one is seeing the havoc some of the civil servants, who are supervising engineers, are doing. Honestly, negligence on the part of any contractor or site engineer is a sabotage and we are ready to expose them,” the Speaker warned.

Also speaking, Chairman House Committee on Works, Honourable Abiodun Awolola, expressed disappointment on the pace of works in the council areas, especially in Iwo Local government Council Area of the state.

He noted that the state government is interested in the delivery of the road projects before the end of this year, thereby urging the contractors and supervising engineers to be alive to their responsibilities.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Works and Transport, Engineer Oladepo Amudah, while reacting to the development, said the contractors are facing some technical challenges, which include paucity of funds and other technical challenges, saying the ministry is doing its best to ensure speedy completion of the projects.

By kehinde ayantunji

State of Osun Crest

More than 42 countries from all the continents in the world came to participate in the 2013 May Day celebration with fanfare, according to the Institute Cuban Amistad Conlos Pueblos (ICAP).
The State of Osun has 100 delegates as participants at the colourful event.

The delegation from the State of Osun led by the Special Assistant to Governor Rauf Aregbesola on Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Honourable Bisi Odewumi, saw the rally as a real affirmation of the love and patriotism that Ogbeni Aregbesola is trying to engender in the people of the state.
Smiles and joyful look on the faces of the Cuban people expressed their contentment, discipline and happiness in the celebration of the Workers’ Day, just as all commercial activities were closed for the whole day for the celebration.

The May Day had over 1.8 million workers, who officially registered to take part in the colourful and symbolic rally, witnessed by nationals from other parts of the world.

As early as 2.00 am local time (7.00 am Nigerian time), people from all over the world, were already moving to the venue of the event slated to commence at 7.30am. Vehicular and human traffic became thick for several hours.

With flags, placards and leaflets in their hands, the Cubans communicated to the world, the love, loyalty and patriotism reigning in them and the support for the government of the country.

The arrival of the Cuban President, Comrade Raul Castro some few minutes to 7:00am signalled the official commencement of the well-attended rally.

The President attended it just like any other worker in Cuba, as it was completely devoid of government’s involvement, but rather the affairs of the Cuban labour union.
The President of the union mounted the podium to address the mammoth crowd at exactly 7:30am for a ceremony that lasted almost two hours.

In his May Day rally speech, he saw it as an opportunity to thank and appreciate the government of Cuba, as well as advanced the need for the Cuban government not to relent in its agitation to get five of its citizens currently being detained by the US government to be released with immediate effect.
It was a remark that drew thunderous applauds and acceptance, as the Cubans collectively in one voice saw it as the only germane issue, despite several others before the Cubans.

The State of Osun governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has congratulated the Cuban President and the entire people of Cuba on the successful hosting of this year’s Workers’ Day in Cuba.

Governor Aregbesola’s message was conveyed to the Cuban government through the Head of Osun delegation to Cuba, Honourable Odewumi.

Odewumi said he was not surprised by the passion and commitment of the Cubans, because over the years, they have always been in the fore-front of championing the genuine concept of democracy.

He therefore, on behalf of the Government of the State of Osun, charged the over 100 contingents from the state to Cuba to go back home to replicate the sense of love, passion and patriotism, as displayed by the Cubans before, during and after the Labour Day celebration.

The uniformity of the vests, flags and banners used by the workers added colour to the event as they matched steadily in front of the millions of people standing at the freedom square.

Unlike any other parts of the country, the workers used the occasion to solidarise with the government and called for the release of the five Cuban citizens being detained by the US, instead of calling for the increment in their salaries.

All the umbrella bodies of the workers displayed their professions at the event with series of activities, just as children and the handicapped also participated at the event.

Students and security officers, including the military men were not left out in the celebration match.
Commenting on the event, Odewumi said: “There is joy being one of the delegates to watch this year’s celebration of Workers’ Day in Cuba. We can see the Cubans solidarising with their people, which symbolizes their love for their country.

“The Workers’ Day in Cuba has no replication in any other part of the world. The Cubans show their patriotism, nationalism and loyalty for their country.

The celebration also indicates the concern and care of government for the people.

In his comment, the lawmaker representing Ife- Central in the Osun State House of Assembly, Honourable Adetilewa Sijuwade said: “Cubans appreciate their country. It means the government has done a lot for them on welfare. There is patriotism and discipline which is lacking in Nigeria.”

By ismaeel uthman

Governor of the State of Osun, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, has assured the pensioners, who have just retired from the state civil service in December last year that they will get their pension benefit by the end of May.

He disclosed this in Osogbo, the state capital, last Tuesday while inaugurating three separate committees for public servant welfare – Bureau of Public Service Pension, Bureau of Local Government Service Pension and Committee of Osun Housing Loan Board.

The Bureau of Public Service Pension has the Permanent Secretary of General Service, Mr. Kayode Adegoke as chairman; while the Permanent Secretary of Local Government Staff Pension Board, Mr. Kayode Afolabi, is the Chairman of the Bureau of Local Government Service Pension, just as the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Regional Integration and Special Duties, Mr. Festus Olajide, is the Chairman of the Committee on State Housing Loans Board. All the committees have representatives of labour unions as members.

While inaugurating the bureaux, Governor Aregbesola said that the recently-retired civil servants, who have completed their retirement papers, would get their pension at the end of the month.
He expressed conviction that the boards will henceforth ensure transparency on matters relating to pension, as well as housing scheme, while workers will also have confidence in them.

The governor recalled that his administration inherited N200 million being paid as pension, but for the commitment of the administration to the welfare of both serving and retired civil servants, it has been increased to N350 million, while the gratuity was increased from N50 million to N120 million.
According to him, the housing and car loans for the civil servants have also been increased beyond imagination of workers.

He said: “With these boards, workers can now have confidence and trust in transactions that are related to pension and housing loan and to me, that is the hallmark of whatever reform that anyone might talk about in the civil service.

“Workers also now have confidence that whatever it is they are contributing, their contribution will not in anyway be mismanaged.

“The confidence and trust could only be guaranteed, if the members of these various committees can live up to expectations by trying to be extremely transparent in the discharge of their duties.
“Ensure that when you notice any misdemeanour or discrepancies in either the contribution of the government or the contributions from the respective payee, raise necessary alert, so that there can be correction quickly”, he charged the board members.

The governor, therefore expressed confidence that workers will get maximum benefit from the bureaux.
He stressed that they should not allow affection, disaffection or sentiment, but always make decisions in accordance with the standard set rules.

Responding on behalf of the three committees, the state Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Alhaji Saka Adesiyan, who is a member of one of the boards, confirmed that the governor has fulfilled his promises to the workers in the state.

Noting that the administration’s response to the yearning of workers has been encouraging, he said that the workers would do everything possible to support the administration.

By kazeem mohammed

Kelvin Ighodalo

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that an Osogbo High Court had on Monday April 29 convicted one Kelvin Ighodalo for stealing the governor’s phone.

Reacting to the sentence through a statement by Adewale Afolabi, the state Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, the government described the reports as over sensationalised by the media.

Although, Afolabi did not accuse any particular medium, he stressed the need to put the record straight and to educate the public on the facts in the case and the application of the law.

“Kelvin, from the investigation carried out by the State Security Services and presented before the court, is a dismissed police officer, who had earlier on been in prison for six years for a murder charge.

“He has subsequently served prison terms for receiving stolen goods in 2010 and while in prison, he was obviously working in conjunction with a syndicate.

“Members of the syndicate, who are still under investigation, arranged the stealing of the mobile phone of Gov. Rauf Aregbesola and before the SIM card was blocked, the syndicate impersonated the owner.

“They defrauded many close associates of Aregbesola. One Abdulgafar Yusuf was caught by security agents while trying to withdraw money paid into his bank account by two of their victims,” the statement read in part.

The commissioner also recalled that Mr Shenge Rahaman and Oba Adekunle Aromolaran had earlier on been defrauded of almost a million naira, while other numerous victims had fallen to their pranks.

The Attorney-General said that Kelvin was later arrested and charged to the court alongside his arrested accomplices; namely Ogunjobi Babatunde (a prison officer) and Abdulgafar Yusuf (the prison officer’s brother).

Mr. Afolabi said the accused were charged to court on a- six-count charge of conspiracy to obtain money under false pretense, obtaining money under false pretense, stealing and impersonation.

“Although Ighodalo was granted bail by the Court, he jumped bail and attempted committing similar offence with another person’s GSM number but was caught in the process.

“He was later arraigned on the six-count charge and he pleaded guilty to all the six counts. The first three counts carry twenty years maximum term with no option of fine,” he noted.

Mr. Afolabi clarified that whoever committed this offence under Subsection (1) or (2) is liable on conviction to imprisonment for not more than twenty years and not less than seven years without an option of a fine.

The commissioner further recalled, however, that the Judge, while sentencing Ighodalo, exercised his discretion within the limited space allowed by law to sentence him to 10 years term on each of the first three counts.

“To say that Ighodalo was sentenced to 45 years prison term for stealing Aregbesola’s phone is not only misleading but unduly sensationalised, unfair to the court and the entire criminal justice system.

“I will only advise that Nigerians should refrain from trivialising or playing politics with serious financial crime more so when other members of the syndicate are still at large and any member of the public may fall their victim.

“Financial crime must be confronted frontally no matter who the victim or the culprit is to have an economically prosperous, sane and safe society,” he added.

Source: Premium Times

Late Chief MKO Abiola

Commissioner for Regional Integration and Special Duties, Mr Ajibola Basiru, stated this on Thursday during a ministerial news conference held at the Governor’s Office, Abere.

Basiru disclosed that the aircraft maintenance facility of the airport would be ready by next year while international flights would also
commence next year.

The airport, which was formerly an aerodrome, had been abandoned for several decades by subsequent administration in Osun before the Rauf Aregbesola administration decided to reconstruct it.

Basiru said the fencing of the airport had been completed while all gates and security facilities of the airport had been completed.

Commenting on Osun Citizens Mediation Centre – a government agency engaged in conflict resolution, Basiru said the centre had received 84 complaints, adding that none of the complaints had to do with religious disagreement.

Culled from Punch

The State Head of Service, Mr. Yinka Owoeye, disclosed this at the press conference organized by the Ministry of Information and Strategy.

Mr. Owoeye explained that only those who have successfully met the demands of filling all necessary forms and submitted them will be listed for pensions and gratuities in May.

He then used the occasion to appeal to all retired workers to complete all necessary forms and submit them in order to be pay-rolled for monthly pension.

The Head of Service then disclosed that out of the 6,000 applicants who have been shortlisted for employment into the state civil service, only those who passed the qualifying examinations would be considered on merit, so that the state will have the best civil service in the federation.
He then assured that the administration of Governor Rauf Aregbesola is seriously looking into the issue of youth employment in order for it not to be a time bomb.